An artisan gives final touches to an idol of Lord Ganesh ahead of 'Ganesh Chaturthi' festival.
Credit: PTI Photo
Thane: In a bid to enhance convenience and reduce crowding during Ganesh Chaturthi festivities, the Thane Municipal Corporation has decided to introduce mobile vehicles fitted with water tanks for facilitating the immersion of Lord Ganesha's idols.
This initiative by TMC commissioner Saurabh Rao aims to provide a more accessible and streamlined immersion experience for residents, as per an official statement.
The new mobile vehicle units will travel to various localities, allowing citizens to immerse the idols after performing religious rituals, eliminating the need to visit crowded immersion spots.
The ten-day Ganesh festival, which commences on September 7, sees the consecration of idols in homes and public places across Maharashtra.
Six vehicles will be operated on the key immersion days: September 8, 12, and 14. Each mobile unit is fitted with a water tank where devotees can perform the immersion before the idol's remnants are transferred to designated artificial lakes and other immersion sites, as per the release.
In addition to the mobile units, the TMC has set up nine ghats (steps that lead down to a riverbank), 15 artificial ponds, ten idol acceptance centres, and 49 tank immersion systems across the city to accommodate idols.
Rao told PTI Monday that the mobile immersion facility will decentralise the immersion process, minimise congestion, and offer added convenience to devotees.